Today, disposable, absorbent garments, such as diapers, are widely used in infant and toddler care, and in the care of incontinent adults, as a means of containing, isolating and disposing of bodily wastes. These garments have generally replaced reusable, washable cloth garments as the preferred means for these applications, and the typical disposable garment is a composite structure containing a number of layers of material. Included in these layers of material are a liquid impermeable outer layer or backsheet, one or more layers of woven or non-woven material forming an absorbent core, and a liquid permeable inner layer or liner. The layers comprising the garment are generally secured together by lines of adhesive, with the backsheet and liner usually directly adhesively interconnected around the periphery of the garment. Elastic bands are often provided along the longitudinal sides of the garment to constrict the liner and backsheet to produce leg cuffs which fit snugly about the wearer's legs. In addition, closure devices, such as adhesive tabs, may be provided for removably fitting and holding the sides of the garment together about the waist of the wearer. Alternatively, the garment may be folded and sealed or otherwise attached along opposing side edges to form a pant or brief.
While many advancements have been made in the field of disposable garments for both infants and adults, which have enabled them to be widely preferred over conventional cloth garments, a number of problems still exist. Among the problems experienced with these disposable garments is the inability to determine whether the garment has been soiled without substantially removing the garment. It is desirable to detect soiling of the garment as soon after it occurs as possible, in order to reduce the occurrence of diaper rashes and other skin irritations and infections. Diapers and other disposable garments have traditionally been produced with opaque back or outer sheets to provide a sanitary appearance for the diaper. Unfortunately, however, the opaqueness of the sheets also serves to conceal the presence of waste material in the diaper.
Currently, there are a limited number of options available to a caretaker for determining whether a garment, such as a diaper, has been soiled. The first of these options is to smell the diaper in order to detect the odor of stool or urine. While this option is non-intrusive to the wearer, it is highly subject to error, since the deodorants applied to the diaper may mask the odor of the waste. Another option is for the caretaker to at least partially remove the garment from the wearer to see whether it is soiled. While this method is more accurate, it is also more invasive and inconvenient, requiring at least a partial removal of the wearer's clothing and diaper. A third option for inspecting the diaper is for the caretaker to stick a finger into the rear portion of the diaper to "feel" whether it is soiled.
While this method also tends to be very accurate, it can be a rather inconvenient and/or unpleasant experience for at least the caretaker. Diapers have been developed which include transparent portions for viewing bodily waste in the diaper without the need for removing the diaper. For instance, Haque, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,708, issued Jan. 7, 1992, discloses a diaper which includes a transparent outer layer and an opaque soft lining material. In the Haque diaper, openings in the form of character shapes are provided in both the front and back portions of the soft material, so that soilage can be readily viewed from outside the diaper. While the Haque diaper eliminates the need to remove the diaper to detect soilage, its transparent outer layer creates an unsanitary, unpleasant appearance, since the soilage is visible to not only the caretaker, but also to anyone else who is in visual contact with the wearer before the diaper is changed.
Accordingly, to overcome the above and other problems, it is desirable to have a disposable, absorbent garment which includes an inspection porthole for determining whether the garment has been soiled without removing the garment. Further, it is desirable to have such a garment in which the inspection porthole is concealed when not in use in order to preserve the sanitary outer appearance of the garment.